Saturday, June 15, 2013
Batteries included: New wind turbines and solar panels come with built-in storage
By John Upton
If you want to use solar power at night or wind power on calm days, you need batteries that can store energy after it’s produced. But why bother with two pieces of equipment when you could have one?
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Climate Policies in Coal-Dependent Australia Leading to Surging Wind Development
Climate Policies in Coal-Dependent Australia Leading to Surging Wind Development
June 07, 2013
Australia’s wind development is driven by clean energy mandates, but the Gillard government's carbon tax has rendered building new coal plants non-competitive. Export policies for fossil fuels is beginning to fast-track liquefied natural gas out of the country to supply a very lucrative market in Asia.
The result? According to a Bloomberg report, while a new natural gas plant now costs $116 a megawatt hour, wind can be built at $80 a megawatt hour.
TrustPower Generation General Manager Deion Campbell developed nearly half the wind capacity in New Zealand and is now constructing the second Snowtown wind farm in Australia, at 270 MW. Between the two countries — which combined hold fewer people than California — his team has developed close to $1 billion worth of hydro and wind in the last decade.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
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Monday, June 3, 2013
Wind turbine syndrome is spread by scaremongers
Earlier this week researchers at the University of Auckland published an experimental study showing that people primed by watching online information about health problems from wind turbines, reported more symptoms after being exposed to recorded infrasound or to sham (fake) infrasound.
The study provided powerful evidence for the nocebo hypothesis: the idea that anxiety and fear about wind turbines being spread about by anti-wind farm groups, will cause some people hearing this scary stuff to get those symptoms.
Welcome to Victoria, no wind farms allowed
Posted by Alexander White
And also, after law changes in 2011, one of the most difficult places in the world to build a wind farm.
Back in 2011, the then-premier of Victoria, Ted Baillieu, enacted lawsthat, according to The Conversation website, effectively imposes a blanket ban on wind farms in many parts of the state:
They effectively give the owners of any dwelling within 2km of a proposed wind farm the power to decide whether or not the development should proceed.
The laws were part of the conservative Liberal-National coalition's 2010 election platform to "restore fairness and certainty to the planning process for wind farms". The laws have definitely provided certainty.
Wind power opponents may be blowing hot air
April 18, 2013When it comes to wind power, we have to be careful to ensure that impacts on the environment and on animals such as birds and bats are minimized, and we should continue to study possible effects on health. But we must also be wary of false arguments against it.
By David Suzuki with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Communications Manager Ian Hanington.
Opposition to windmills often centres on health effects, but what is it about wind power that causes people to feel ill? According to recent research, it may not be the infrasound from wind-energy installations but, oddly enough, the warnings from opponents.
Bottom of Form
For a study published in the American Psychological Association's Health Psychology journal, researchers from New Zealand's University of Auckland showed readily available anti-wind-power film footage to 27 people. Another 27 were shown interviews with experts who said infrasound, such as that created by wind turbines, can't directly cause negative health effects. Subjects were then told they would be exposed to two 10-minute periods of infrasound, but were actually only exposed to one.
Opposition to windmills often centres on health effects, but what is it about wind power that causes people to feel ill? According to recent research, it may not be the infrasound from wind-energy installations but, oddly enough, the warnings from opponents.
Bottom of Form
For a study published in the American Psychological Association's Health Psychology journal, researchers from New Zealand's University of Auckland showed readily available anti-wind-power film footage to 27 people. Another 27 were shown interviews with experts who said infrasound, such as that created by wind turbines, can't directly cause negative health effects. Subjects were then told they would be exposed to two 10-minute periods of infrasound, but were actually only exposed to one.
Wind Potential – All About the Data
Amy Malloy
May 22, 2013
When it comes to the deployment of wind power, data plays an important role in the design and operations of a wind farm. Is there enough wind? Where should the turbines be placed? How will the placement of turbines impact performance? Are the turbines in need of maintenance? Data collected from technologically advanced monitoring devices answers these questions. Data analysis helps to advance wind power as a renewable energy source.
Met Tower
The initial planning of a wind farm begins with selection of the proper location, not surprisingly, where wind resources are abundant. Wind resource assessment is the process by which a developer estimates future energy production from a wind farm. Research often begins with maps published by government agencies. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a desirable location will have an average wind speed of at least 9-10 mph. A preliminary site is then selected for on-site data collection. A meteorological tower (met tower) is installed to measure wind speed (with an anemometer), wind direction (using a weather vane), temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. Details, such as elevation and time of day, are factored in as well. Data from the met tower is collected for a minimum of about one year to determine the economic feasibility of a project.
India Releases Draft Offshore Wind Energy Policy
Jeff Postelwait, Associate Editor, Electric Light & Power
May 29, 2013
This level of cost competitiveness is thanks to supportive public policy that has, so far, not been extended to include offshore wind energy, according to the draft.
About 5 GW of offshore wind generation capacity is installed worldwide, with an equal amount in development or under construction. Top countries in the offshore wind market include the U.K., Belgium, The Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. The E.U. set a goal of 40 GW in offshore wind capacity by 2020 and 150 GW by 2030.
May 29, 2013
India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has released a draft national offshore wind energy policy for 2013. The draft policy was written with input from a steering committee on offshore wind energy. According to the draft, onshore wind energy has reached a stage of deployment that makes it competitive with traditional fossil fuel power generation.
This level of cost competitiveness is thanks to supportive public policy that has, so far, not been extended to include offshore wind energy, according to the draft.
About 5 GW of offshore wind generation capacity is installed worldwide, with an equal amount in development or under construction. Top countries in the offshore wind market include the U.K., Belgium, The Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. The E.U. set a goal of 40 GW in offshore wind capacity by 2020 and 150 GW by 2030.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Wind energy is bright light in an otherwise grim report
By Chris Rose | Published 24 Apr 2013
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| Maria van der Hoeven, IEA |
The continued expansion of wind power, coupled with a decrease in costs for the emissions-free electricity-generating technology, was one of the few positive notes in a new International Energy Agency (IEA) report on efforts to create a low-carbon world.
The IEA report, which was presented in India last week to the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), said that wind power capacity grew by 19% from 2011 to 2012 despite ongoing economic problems.
In its report, Tracking Clean Energy Progress, the IEA described onshore wind power as “one of the most cost-competitive renewable energy sources” and noted generation from 2000 to 2011 increased by 400 TWh (+27% per year), reaching an estimated 435 TWh in 2011.
The IEA report, which was presented in India last week to the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), said that wind power capacity grew by 19% from 2011 to 2012 despite ongoing economic problems.
In its report, Tracking Clean Energy Progress, the IEA described onshore wind power as “one of the most cost-competitive renewable energy sources” and noted generation from 2000 to 2011 increased by 400 TWh (+27% per year), reaching an estimated 435 TWh in 2011.
Government Subsidies: Silent Killer Of Renewable Energy
Guest post written by Paul Nahi
Hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear or engage in a conversation about energy. Too often, those conversations are about failed companies that lived only for government largesse. Whether the discussion is about the cost of energy, the damage being done to the environment, or national security issues, there is one constant: everyone agrees that the world needs safe, clean, and affordable energy.
As the chief executive of a solar technology company, no one wants an abundant supply of clean energy and a healthy solar energy industry more than I do. And the best pathway to a stable renewable energy industry is to create self-sufficiency and independence from government financial assistance.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
PM: India to double renewable energy capacity by 2017
India's Prime Minister Vows to Double Renewable Energy Capacity
By Jeff Postelwait, Associate Editor, Electric Light & Power | April 18, 2013
"It is proposed to double the renewable energy capacity in our country from 25,000 MW in 2012 to 55,000 MW by the year 2017. This would include exploiting non-conventional energy sources such as solar, wind power and energy from biomass," Singh said.
These initiatives were announced as part of the prime minister's presentation of India's 12th Five Year Plan.
Developed countries are the ones best poised to help meet the challenge of climate change, he said, adding that India has set a goal of cutting its energy use by 20 to 25 percent by 2020 by increasing its energy efficiency.
Another measure the prime minister called for is an international research and development center for solar energy. This National Institute of Solar Energy could be operational by 2015, he said. Research into solar thermal and solar photovoltaic would be part of this initiative.
The price of producing solar power was cut in half over the past two years, he said, going on to acknowledge that fossil-fired power generation, such as coal power, is still less expensive. The difference, he said could be made up for with subsidies.
About 87.5 percent of India's electricity is generated from non-renewable sources. Coal constitutes 57 percent of India's installed capacity.
In December 2011, over 300 million Indian citizens had no access to electricity — most of these residents are from rural areas.
This article was originally published on Electric Light & Power and was republished with permission.
Comment by Anumakonda Jagadeesh
We,People involved in the Renewable Energy research and promotion welcome your statement, “India will seek to double the amount of renewable energy it can generate to 55 GW in the next four years”.
Here is an action plan for India on Renewables:
Biofuel and Biogas for Power Generation:
Agave is a care – free growth plant which can be grown in millions of hectares of waste land and which produces Biofuel. Already Mexico is using it. Another Care free growth plant is Opuntia which generates Biogas. Biogas can be input to generate power through Biogas Generators. Biogas generators of MW size are available from China. Yet another option is Water Hyacinth for biogas. Water Hyacinth along with animal dung can produce biogas on a large scale and then power. In Kolleru lake in Godavari and Krishna Delta in Andhra Pradesh it is available in 308 Sq. Km for nearly 8 months in a year.